Jessica brings back smile to an Indian lip

Hollywood singer-turned-actress Jessica Simpson has gone the Lindsay Lohan way. After Lohan's stint in India for a controversial docu-film on child and women trafficking, it is Jessica's turn to use philanthropy here for limelight on western reality TV. On her recent trip to India, Jessica helped

Hollywood singer-turned-actress Jessica Simpson has gone the Lindsay Lohan way. After Lohan's stint in India for a controversial docu-film on child and women trafficking, it is Jessica's turn to use philanthropy here for limelight on western reality TV. On her recent trip to India, Jessica helped a 13-year-old Indian girl, Meena, treat a cleft lip and cleft palate. The incident was shot as a part of the US reality show, The Price Of Beauty (POB ), and aired earlier this week.

The actress hosts the show. In the India-centric episode, Jessica worked with an NGO, Operation Smile.

"Since we are exploring beauty on the show, why not meet a child (with a cleft) and see if she can be operated upon? We wanted to give her a smile," Jessica said in the episode. She added that she has been involved with the NGO for six years.

Jessica was in Mumbai late last year, along with pals Cacee Cobb and Hollywood stylist Ken Paves, to shoot for the show. She wrote on her Twitter page: "We go to India and team up with 'Operation Smile' to witness a miracle in a little girl's life." Operation Smile is an NGO that provides operations for children with cleft lip and cleft palate. In the third episode of POB, Jessica stated that "one in every 500 kids in India has a cleft palate. This is one of the highest rates in the world". On the show, Jessica cut an emotional picture while talking of Meena's problems. The camera captured her hugging and kissing the girl who would always cover her face while venturing out before the operation.

The episode featuring Meena showed Jessica, along with Paves and Cobb, holding Meena's hand while surgeons operated on the girl. "I hope whenever Meena looks in the mirror now, she loves her smile," Jessica said on the show.

The episode of POB featuring Meena also featured Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia, who is the Indian beauty ambassador for the show. Jessica, Paves and Cobb travelled to Film City in Mumbai to meet Neha. On the way, Jessica said: "The Mumbai streets are very populated as there is chaos all around us." Later, Jessica and friends tested their dancing skills at a Bollywood audition. Heeding Neha's advice, Jessica is also shown attending a laughter yoga session before heading off to an ayurvedic spa centre.

At the spa, Jessica poured salt water up her nose, applied hair oil and even drank cow urine for health.

"I will never drink it again. In India, it's a detox. It's supposed to be good for your skin but I couldn't keep it down," she said.

Finally, Jessica made a desi style statement with a beadwork sari, mehndi and bindi before attending a glitzy Bollywood party.

"Indians are comfortably beautiful and it shows in their happiness, colours and dance," Jessica said on the show.

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